End-gate fastener.



No. 050,720. Patented Aug. 2s, |000.

H. KELLER.

END GATE FASTENEB.

(Application filed. Dec. 1, 1899.)

(Ilo Model.)

/g- ATTORNEYS` NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY KELLER, or FORT WAYNE, INDIANA.

i-:ND-GATE FASTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 656,720, dated August 28, 1900. Application filed December 1,1899. Serial No.v 738,798. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom/ it' may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY KELLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort Wayne, in the county of Allen, in the State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in End-Gate Fasteners;

and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled inv the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in end-gate fasteners. v

The object of my invention is` to provide a cheap, simple, and efficient Wagon-end-gate-k a holding engagement with" eyes upon the Wagon-body, adjacent to the ends of said endgate, a pendent operating-lever` having its upper end rigidly secured to said eccentric, a curved rack-bar rigidly fixed on saidendgate in cooperative relation with saidlever, and meansfor rigidly securing the said lever in a locked engagementwith said rack-bar.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar reference-numeralsindicate like parts, Figure lis a view in elevation of my improvement in position on an end-gate. Figs. 2 and 3 are views from opposite sides of the operating-lever in detail. Fig. e is a detail of the curved rack-bar. Figs. 5 and 6 are perspective and plan views, respectively, of the ec-` centric. Fig. 7 is a detail of one of the rings to Which the inner end of the end-gate hooks is secured. Fig. 8 is a detail of a modified form of the same for use with leather straps ,instead of hooks.

`The end-gate 1, of the usual construction, is secured in a proper Wagon body or lbox 2 by upright cleats 3 in the usual manner. At

ed to receive and holdingly engage the outer ends of said rods. At a point on said end-gate at or` near the'lniddle of its length is pivotally mounted the double eccentric, Whose outer portion 6 is provided with` the opposite lugs '7, adapted for an interlocking engagement lwith the upper end of the operating-lever,

hereinafter described. On the integral sections 6 and 8 of said eccentric are loosely mounted `the rings 9 and 10, respectively, as shown in Fig. 1. These rings are each provided With an apertured lateral lug or eye 11, in which the inner ends of the rods 12 and 13 are loosely secured, the former rod being then secured to the eye 1l of the ring 9 and the latter rod to the eye of the ring 10.

The operating-lever 14 has its upper end provided with the `oppositelateral lugs 15,

adapted to form an actuating engagement with the faces 16 of the `said `lugs 7, Fig. 5,

`While the upper end of the said lever rests in the space or recess 17 betweenthe said lugs o fand is rigidly fixed in such position by the pin, bolt, or pivot which passes through the openinglS ofthe eccentric and by which it is pivotally supported. The said lever let has a pair of apertured lateral lugs19 in vertical alinement, in which islooselymounted a latch 20, having an annular lug 2l, between which and the upper one of said lugs 19 is arranged a coiled spring 22, of proper tension,

on said latch, by which it is normally heldin the position shown in Fig. 2. The lower end of the lever 14 is formed into a curved handle 23, on which is pivotcd a lever 24 `for elevating the latch 2O `by engaging the lower end thereof for the purpose hereinafter described. At a proper point-on the end-gate in coperative relation with said latch 2O is rigidly fixed the curved rack-bar 25,whosecurvature is coincident with the arc of a circle having the pivot of the said eccentric as a center. This raok-bar is arranged at the rear of the operating-lever and is normally in a lock en`` gagement with said latch the coiled spring 22.

The manner of employing my invention thus described is briefly stated as follows: When it is desired to firmly secure the endgate in position, the operator grasps the handle 23 of the operating-lever 14@ and also the auxiliary 24:, elevates the latch 2O out of its in the tension of IOO Ithe lower end of the operating-lever back or to the left into the position shown in Fig. 1, which so rotates the eccentric as to tighten the rods 12 and 13, the operating-lever 14 being firmly secured in that or any other desired position by the engagement of the spring-y pressed latchor pawl with the rack-bar. lt is thus obvious that in the use of my improvement the end-gate can readily and conveniently be securely locked in position or removed therefrom.

Instead of the rods 12 and 13 leather straps may be employed, in which case the eye of the lug 11, in which the inner ends ofthe straps `on said eccentric and which are moved in opposite directions by the turning ofthe double eccentric; rods pivoted in said rings and provided upon their outer ends with a hook adapted for a holding engagement with eyes in the wagon-body; a curved rack-bar arranged as described; an operating-lever Whose upper end is fixed in the face of said l eccentric and adapted to oscillate the same and provided with means for forming a locked engagement thereto. v

2. In an end-gate fastener, the combination of a double `eccentric pivotally mounted as shown; a pairof rings arranged on said eccentric and which are moved in opposite directions by the turning of the double eccentric; rods connected with said rings and adapted to holdingly engage the Wagon-body;v a curved raek-bar arranged as shown; an operating-lever fixed to said eccentric and in co operative arrangement with said rack-bar, and provided with a spring-pressed pawl adaptedl to normally engage said raclebar, all substantially as described.

, 3. The combination in an end-gate-fastening deviceof af double vpivoted eccentric;

moved in opposite directions;y rods secured iny said ears for the purpose specified; a curved rack-bar as shown; a pendent hand-lever having itsupper end fixed in the said eccentric and adapted to oscillate the saine; a spring-pressed pawl or latch mounted on said lever and adapted for a holding engagement with said rack-bar; and means for releasing the said pawl from its engagement.

4:. ln an'end-gate-fasteningdevice,a double eccentric, formed in a single part, and which are out of line with each other, the rings applied to the said double eccentric and which are moved in opposite directions thereby, the outer one of the two eccentrics being provided with lugs, and the rods which are connected to the outer ends of the rings, combined with a lever which issecured to the pivot upon which` the two eccentrics turn, and which catches between lthe two lugs, the spring-actuated catch secured to one edge of the lever, the lever for operating said catch, and ya curved rack-bar secured to the tail-board,

and with which the said spring-actuated catch engages, substantially as l shown and deengage with the faces 16, upon the lugs '7,

and which lever is secured to the pivotal bolt uponv which the eccentrics turn, and catches between the lugs 7,*aspring-actuated catch secured to the lever, a lever for operating saidspring-actuated catch, and also pivoted upon the lever, and acurved rack-bar secured to the tail-board, and with Whichthe springloo IOS 

